Wash Post Asia/Pacific

Afghan-Pakistani Hostility Impedes U.S. Troops

Greg Jaffe — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ON THE AFGHANISTAN-PAKISTAN BORDER -- Lt. Gabe Lamois's mission sounded simple: Hike down the hill to the Pakistani Frontier Corps' border post, inform the commander there that U.S. and Afghan troops were going to be moving through the area at 3 a.m., and hike back up the hill.

North Korea Launches Seven Missiles on U.S. Holiday

Blaine Harden and Joby Warrick — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, July 4 -- Taunting the United States on its birthday, North Korea fired seven missiles into the Sea of Japan early Saturday in a provocative move that some experts said might have been intended to discourage deployment of new missile defenses against the communist state.

Latest U.S. Strike in Pakistan May Signal More Coordination Between Nations

Joshua Partlow and Pamela Constable — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 3 -- The followers of one of Pakistan's most feared Taliban commanders, Baitullah Mehsud, came under a fresh round of U.S. drone attacks Friday in bombings that killed at least six people, according to Pakistani government officials.

Taliban Insurgents Step Up Attacks on Marines in Southern Afghanistan

Rajiv Chandrasekaran — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, July 3 -- Taliban insurgents stepped up attacks Friday against U.S. Marines in southern Afghanistan's Helmand River valley, forcing troops in some areas to spend the day fighting instead of carrying out plans to meet with residents and local leaders.

N. Korea Fires Three Missiles

Post — Sat, 04 Jul 2009 00:29:00 EDT

SEOUL, July 4 -- North Korea fired three missiles off its eastern coast Saturday, South Korea said, in what was likely to be seen as a message of defiance to the United States on its Independence Day holiday.

U.S. Drone Targets Taliban in Pakistan, at Least 6 Dead

Joshua Partlow and Pamela Constable — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 16:19:58 EDT

In Pakistan, Generations of Brickmakers See Few Changes

Pamela Constable — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TARLAHI, Pakistan -- At the end of a village road, behind a grassy bluff, lies a hidden valley carpeted with thick red dust and canyoned with craggy mounds of earth. At the bottom, clay-colored figures squat barefoot all day, shaping balls of mud into bricks. In the distance, a dozen scattered...

U.S. Soldier May Be a Captive of Taliban Forces

Ann Scott Tyson — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A U.S. soldier discovered missing yesterday from a small outpost in eastern Afghanistan is believed to have been captured by Taliban militants when he walked away from his base, military officials said.

U.S. Troops Move Deeper Into Afghanistan's Helmand Province; One Marine Killed

Rajiv Chandrasekaran — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, July 2 -- Columns of U.S. Marines in eight-wheeled armored vehicles pushed deep into southern Afghanistan on Thursday in an attempt to cut off Taliban supply lines from Pakistan and restore order in areas long neglected by short-handed NATO forces.

Suicide Bomber Attacks Government Bus in Pakistani Garrison City of Rawalpindi

Post — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, July 2 -- A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle blew himself up alongside a government bus near Islamabad on Thursday afternoon, the latest in a spate of attacks following the Pakistani army's offensive against the Taliban.

New Delhi Lifts Colonial-Era Ban on Gay Sex

Emily Wax and Ria Sen — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

A top court in the Indian capital of New Delhi yesterday overturned a colonial-era law banning gay sex between consenting adults as the world's biggest democracy struggles to balance tradition and modernity.

North Korea Test-Fires 4 Short-Range Missiles

Blaine Harden — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, July 2 -- North Korea on Thursday continued to rattle its neighbors by firing four short-range missiles into waters off its east coast.

Air France Jet Was Intact When It Hit Surface of Atlantic, Investigators Say

Edward Cody — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

PARIS, July 2 -- French crash investigators said Thursday they have determined that an Air France jetliner that plunged from a stormy sky on June 1 was intact when it smacked belly-first into the Atlantic Ocean at high speed, killing all 228 people aboard, but acknowledged they still have no clea...

No Limit in Place for Pending Request on Troops in Afghanistan

Ann Scott Tyson — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The nation's top military officer said yesterday that no limits have been placed on the number or types of troops the new U.S. commander in Afghanistan can request as he seeks to carry out a counterinsurgency strategy there.

Marines Launch Mission in Afghanistan's South Focused on Security and Governance

Rajiv Chandrasekaran — Thu, 02 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan, July 2 -- Thousands of U.S. Marines descended upon the volatile Helmand River valley in helicopters and armored convoys early Thursday, mounting an operation that represents the first large-scale test of the U.S. military's new counterinsurgency strategy in Afghani...

U.S. Says Key to Success in Afghanistan Is Economy, Not Military

Bob Woodward — Wed, 01 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAMP LEATHERNECK, Afghanistan -- National security adviser James L. Jones told U.S. military commanders here last week that the Obama administration wants to hold troop levels here flat for now, and focus instead on carrying out the previously approved strategy of increased economic development, ...

Deadly Ambush in Tribal Region Could Indicate Looming Threat to Pakistan's Army

Joshua Partlow — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 29 -- The Pakistani military is at war with the Taliban, but the ambush that killed 16 soldiers in the tribal region of North Waziristan on Sunday was still somewhat unexpected.

Pakistan Contends With History and Tribal Issues as Waziristan Campaign Looms

Pamela Constable — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 28 -- More than 70 years ago, the British army went to war against tribal forces loyal to a charismatic religious figure in what is now the Pakistani region of Waziristan. The ensuing guerrilla conflict lasted more than a decade. The British troops, though far more nume...

China, Cuba, Other Authoritarian Regimes Censor News From Iran

Ariana Eunjung Cha — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING -- Out of fear that history might repeat itself, the authoritarian governments of China, Cuba and Burma have been selectively censoring the news this month of Iranian crowds braving government militias on the streets of Tehran to demand democratic reforms.

Trade With China Aids N. Korea's Military, May Offset Sanctions

Blaine Harden — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL -- Behaving badly hasn't hurt the bottom line in North Korea.

India's Traditional Arranged Marriages Join the Reality TV Age

Rama Lakshmi — Sat, 27 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

MUMBAI -- In a two-minute video clip televised here last month, 29-year-old Amit Daruka and his doting parents listed the attributes of the ideal bride for him -- she must be tall, fair-skinned and respectful of her elders, share Daruka's ethnicity and horoscope, and be ready to work in the famil...

Human Rights Lawyers 'Disbarred' by Paperwork

Ariana Eunjung Cha — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING -- In the five years since it was founded, the Yitong Law Firm has established itself as one of the country's fiercest human rights advocates. It represented Hu Jia, the dissident who spoke out against the Tiananmen Square crackdown and on behalf of HIV/AIDS patients; Chen Guangcheng, the...

Democrat Endorsed Cambodia Invasion

Walter Pincus — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Five days before U.S. and South Vietnamese troops made their surprise move into Cambodia on April 29, 1970, then-President Richard M. Nixon got the approval of the top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee for that action, according for documents released yesterday by the Nixon library.

Pakistan's Plans for 2nd Major Army Operation Prompts Concerns and Criticisms

Pamela Constable — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

CAMP JALOZAI, Pakistan -- As they bake in a sea of plastic tents under the relentless sun, families displaced by the recent army campaign against Taliban forces in the Swat Valley have a single, burning question about the Pakistani government's plans for a far more ambitious military assault agai...

Number of Swine Flu Cases Leaps Over Weekend, WHO Says

Post — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

GENEVA, June 22 -- The World Health Organization on Monday reported a huge leap in cases of swine flu around the world to more than 52,000 people infected and 231 dead.

Stakes High for India in Emotionally Charged Mumbai Trial

Rama Lakshmi — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

MUMBAI -- Grainy images of men wielding AK-47s riveted a packed courtroom here one day last week as the public prosecutor rolled soundless video footage from November's deadly attacks on the city.

Media Agreed to Stay Silent on Kidnapping of Reporter David Rohde

Howard Kurtz — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

There were times during the kidnapping ordeal of New York Times reporter David Rohde when his boss wavered in his determination to suppress the story.

Reporters Escape Taliban Captors

Keith B. Richburg — Sun, 21 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NEW YORK, June 20 -- A New York Times reporter kidnapped by the Taliban and held for seven months in the rugged mountainous region along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border escaped Friday, along with a local Afghan reporter, by climbing over a wall and finding a nearby Pakistani army base, according ...

U.S. Journalist Held Captive by Taliban Safely Escapes

Keith B. Richburg — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 12:45:00 EDT

NEW YORK, June 20 -- A New York Times reporter who was kidnapped by the Taliban and held for the past seven months in the mountainous region near the Afghanistan-Pakistan border escaped, along with an Afghan reporter, by climbing over a wall and finding a nearby Pakistani army base, the newspaper...

Investment

Post — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The United States spent the following for reconstruction in Afghanistan from 2001 to 2008:

U.S. Pursues a New Way To Rebuild in Afghanistan

Rajiv Chandrasekaran — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The idea to transform a vacant tract near the Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif into a sprawling commercial farm, with miles of strawberry fields and thousands of cashmere goats, began with an entreaty from President George W. Bush to the billionaire chairman of Dole Foods at a 2006 Republican Party...

Economic Experiment of the Two Koreas Is Fighting for Its Survival

Blaine Harden — Fri, 19 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL -- Soon after North Korea tested its first nuclear bomb in October 2006, a three-star general from Pyongyang showed up at the Kaesong Industrial Complex.

Global Insurance Fraud By North Korea Outlined

Blaine Harden — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

For Kim Jong Il's birthday, North Korean insurance managers prepared a special gift.

Slaying of Cleric Sarfraz Naeemi Shows Taliban Widening Its Targets in Pakistan

Pamela Constable — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

LAHORE, Pakistan, June 16 -- The modest office where Sarfraz Naeemi kept his library and received visitors seeking spiritual guidance is now a charred hole. The floor is strewn with burned pages, glass shards and ball bearings from a young suicide bomber's lethal vest.

Obama Assures South Korea of Protection From Increasingly Hostile North

Scott Wilson — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

As new sanctions against North Korea take effect, President Obama said yesterday that he does not believe it is inevitable that the isolated communist nation "will or should be" designated a nuclear power.

North Korea Says Journalists Laura Ling and Euna Lee Admitted ÂCriminal Acts'

Blaine Harden — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL, June 16 -- North Korea said Tuesday that two American journalists it has sentenced to 12 years in a labor camp admitted at their trial that they entered the country illegally to vilify the North's human rights record.

In Pakistan, Envoy Holbrooke Tries to Convince Refugees U.S. Is on Their Side

Karen DeYoung — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SHAIKH SHAHZAID CAMP, Pakistan -- U.S. envoy Richard C. Holbrooke, red-faced and sweaty, sat on the dirt floor of a stifling tent as Aslam Khan, a 38-year-old laborer, spoke haltingly of his family's panicked flight from a Pakistani army offensive against Taliban forces in their mountain village,...

Gen. McChrystal, New Afghanistan Commander, Will Review Troop Placements

Greg Jaffe — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

KABUL, June 15 -- Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, who took over Monday as the top commander in Afghanistan, said he will launch a broad assessment of how U.S. and NATO troops are arrayed in the country to ensure his forces are focused on safeguarding key population centers and not hunting down Taliban...

South Korea Seeks Assurances of U.S. Nuclear Protection

Blaine Harden — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL, June 15 -- As state media in North Korea continued to warn of possible nuclear war, South Korean President Lee Myung-bak flew to Washington for talks on Tuesday with President Obama, from whom Lee is expected to seek a written promise of continued U.S. nuclear protection.

Report: Pedestrians and Cyclists Account for Almost Half of Traffic Deaths

David Brown — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Nearly half of the 1.2 million people killed in traffic accidents around the world each year are not in cars. They are on motorcycles and bicycles or walking along roadsides.

Pakistan Seeks Taliban's Mehsud, Thought to Be Behind Bhutto Assassination

Pamela Constable — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

LAHORE, Pakistan, June 14 -- Pakistani officials announced Sunday night that security forces will launch a military operation against Baitullah Mehsud, a feared Taliban leader who has asserted responsibility for numerous suicide bombings across the country and who is believed to have ordered the...

North Korea Says It Will Start Enriching Uranium

Blaine Harden — Sun, 14 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 13 -- North Korea adamantly denied for seven years that it had a program for making nuclear weapons from enriched uranium.

U.N. Panel Adopts Wider Sanctions on North Korea

Colum Lynch — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

UNITED NATIONS, June 12 -- The U.N. Security Council voted unanimously Friday to impose a broad set of additional financial, military and trade sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests. It also called on states for the first time to seize banned Nort...

U.N. Imposes Tough New Sanctions on North Korea

Colum Lynch — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 14:04:56 EDT

UNITED NATIONS, June 12 -- The U.N. Security Council unanimously voted Friday to impose a broad range of additional financial, military and trade sanctions on North Korea in response to its recent nuclear and ballistic missile tests, and called on states for the first time to seize banned North K...

Obama Gives Up on Resettling Cleared Guantanamo Detainees in U.S., Officials Say

Peter Finn and Sandhya Somashekhar — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The Obama administration has all but abandoned plans to allow Guantanamo Bay detainees who have been cleared for release to live in the United States, administration officials said yesterday, a decision that reflects bipartisan congressional opposition to admitting such prisoners but complicates ...

Pakistanis Confront Bonds of Faith, Country in Battle With Taliban

Griff Witte — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

PATALIAN, Pakistan -- The body of Mohammed Sajad lies buried in the sandy soil of the village cemetery, beneath a lonely Pakistani flag that flies crisply in the sweltering air.

Tours Let Travelers to India Trace Steps, Test Principles of Gandhi

Rama Lakshmi — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NEW DELHI -- For millions of foreign tourists who come to India every year, the blockbuster attractions are still the grand palaces of the medieval maharajahs and that delicate marble monument to timeless love, the Taj Mahal.

Value of U.N. Sanctions on North Korea Disputed

Blaine Harden — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 11 -- As the United Nations moves this week to sanction North Korea for its second nuclear test, there is strong evidence that a previous international squeeze did not work.

Burma's Trial of Suu Kyi Hinders Cyclone Relief

Tim Johnston — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BANGKOK, June 10 -- International donors have warned that the trial of Burmese opposition leader and democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi has made it more difficult to raise money for the victims of last year's cyclone, an official said Wednesday.

Major Powers Reach Deal on Draft U.N. Resolution on North Korea

Colum Lynch and Blaine Harden — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

UNITED NATIONS, June 10 -- The United States, China and other major powers reached agreement Wednesday on a draft U.N. resolution that condemns North Korea's recent underground nuclear test and imposes additional military, financial and trade sanctions on the communist state. The draft was presented...

N. Korea's Belligerence Seen as Succession Drama

Blaine Harden — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 06:36:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 10 -- The top defense official in South Korea told troops this week that North Korea is launching missiles, testing nuclear devices and whipping up global tension so that its ailing leader, Kim Jong Il, can create conditions for a "hereditary transfer of power."

North Korean Women Who Try to Flee to China Encounter Abuse at Home and Abroad

Blaine Harden — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL -- For North Korean women who run off to China, rules are rigged on both sides of the border.

Truck Bomb Kills 11, Injures at Least 50 at Luxury Hotel in Peshawar, Pakistan

Griff Witte — Wed, 10 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 9 -- A massive truck bomb exploded outside a luxury hotel in northwestern Pakistan's provincial capital Tuesday night, killing 11 people and injuring at least 50, officials said. The attack marked the latest salvo by insurgents who have vowed to avenge an army offensive ...

U.S. and China, Still Far Apart on Emissions, Open 3 Days of Climate Talks

Ariana Eunjung Cha — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING, June 8 -- Senior U.S. and Chinese officials began three days of talks here Monday in hopes of making a breakthrough on climate change, but they remain far apart on the basic issue of who is to blame for carbon emissions and should shoulder the biggest burden for reducing them.

N. Korea Hands U.S. Reporters Laura Ling, Euna Lee 12-Year Terms in Labor Camp

Blaine Harden — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 8 -- A North Korean court sentenced two U.S. journalists Monday to 12 years in a labor camp, as the government of Kim Jong Il continued to ratchet up tension with the United States and its neighbors.

U.S. Will Consider Returning North Korea to Terror List

Peter Finn — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

The United States will consider reinstating North Korea to a list of state sponsors of terrorism, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said in an interview broadcast yesterday as the Obama administration looks for ways to ratchet up pressure on Pyongyang after recent nuclear and missile tests.

Indian Banks Put the Brakes on Credit Card Generation's Spending

Rama Lakshmi — Sun, 07 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NEW DELHI -- Three weeks ago, Geetanjali Bahl opened her monthly credit card statement to find a letter tersely announcing that her credit limit had been slashed by more than half -- to just a little over $500.

U.S. Pushes U.N. Draft on N. Korea

Colum Lynch and Glenn Kessler — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

UNITED NATIONS, June 5 -- The United States and its allies are pressing for the Security Council to adopt a U.N. resolution that would further restrain North Korea's capacity to finance its military ambitions.

Tiananmen Anniversary Muted in Mainland China

Ariana Eunjung Cha and K.C. Ng — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING, June 4 -- Mainland China remained quiet Thursday on the 20th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown, while tens of thousands of people staged a protest in Hong Kong.

China Silent on Tiananmen Square Anniversary

By Ariana Eunjung Cha and K.C. Ng — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 15:09:34 EDT

BEIJING, June 4 -- Mainland China remained quiet on the 20th anniversary of the bloody Tiananmen Square crackdown Thursday, while tens of thousands of people staged a protest in Hong Kong.

North Korea Puts Two U.S. Journalists on Trial

Blaine Harden — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 09:25:59 EDT

TOKYO, June 4 -- Facing perhaps 10 years in a labor camp, Laura Ling and Euna Lee, TV reporters accused of illegally entering North Korea and committing unspecified "hostile acts," were scheduled to go on trial Thursday afternoon in Pyongyang in a case that has become part of a nail-biting face-o...

North Korea Follows Nuclear Test With Favor for Captives Laura Ling and Euna Lee

Blaine Harden — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 3 -- The day after North Korea exploded its second nuclear device, authorities in Pyongyang did something less inflammatory: They allowed Laura Ling, an American journalist detained in March along the North Korean border with China, to call her sister Lisa in the United States.

China, 20 Years After Tiananmen Square: Liberty Has Many Faces

Jill Drew — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING -- "Freedom" is a tricky word, malleable for some, immutable for others. Many in China today are exploring new freedoms, bolstered by the nation's two decades of strong economic growth. Although cries for democracy were silenced in the bloody crackdown on student-led protests at Tiananmen...

Pakistani Court Orders Release of Suspected Mumbai Attack Mastermind

Griff Witte and Rama Lakshmi — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, June 2 -- A Pakistani court on Tuesday ordered the immediate release of the founder of a banned militant group that is thought to be behind last year's terrorist attacks in Mumbai.

Son Named Heir to North Korea's Kim Studied in Switzerland, Reportedly Loves NBA

Blaine Harden — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, June 2 -- North Korea's ailing leader has chosen his youngest son as heir to the family dynasty that rules the secretive state, South Korea's intelligence service told lawmakers in Seoul.

North Korean Leader Signals Youngest Son Is Successor

Jon Herskovitz — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

North Korean leader Kim Jong Il has told top officials to pledge loyalty to his youngest son, signaling his anointment as heir to the family dynasty that has ruled since the state's founding, a lawmaker and South Korean media said Tuesday.

U.S. Officials Cite Gains Against Al-Qaeda in Pakistan

Karen DeYoung — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Drone-launched U.S. missile attacks and Pakistan's ongoing military offensive in and around the Swat Valley have unsettled al-Qaeda and undermined its relative invulnerability in Pakistani mountain sanctuaries, U.S. military and intelligence officials say.

In India, Writers Show Kids 'a World Beyond Harry Potter'

Rama Lakshmi — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NEW DELHI -- Twenty children squatted on the floor of a pink-and-yellow bookstore here on a recent Sunday morning to listen to a young Indian author read aloud his short story, "Bani Chatterjee and the Burden of Expectation."

N. Korea Seen Moving Missile to Launchpad

Blaine Harden — Sun, 31 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 30 -- North Korea, which launched a long-range missile over Japan in April, appeared Saturday to be moving another one to a launchpad.

New Reports, Imagery Contradict Sri Lankan Government on Civilian No-Fire Zone

Emily Wax — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

NORTHEASTERN COAST, Sri Lanka -- The strip of beach where tens of thousands of civilians huddled during the Sri Lankan military's decisive assault against the Tamil Tiger rebels this month shows clear signs of heavy artillery shelling, according to a helicopter inspection of the site by independent...

Roh's Mourners Throng Seoul: Many Call Bribery Probe of Ex-Leader an Injustice

Stella Kim and Blaine Harden — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

SEOUL, May 29 -- A national funeral for Roh Moo-hyun, the scandal-tainted former president who killed himself last weekend by jumping off a cliff, brought huge numbers of South Koreans into the streets of Seoul on Friday to weep, to wail and to damn the current president for shaming Roh into...

N. Korea Fires Sixth Missile in a Week

Blaine Harden — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 30 -- North Korea rattled its neighbors again Friday when it fired a short-range missile off its eastern coast, the sixth such launch this week, and there were signs that the secretive communist country might be preparing more shows of force.

Burmese Activist Suu Kyi Needs Urgent Medical Aid, Her Party Says

Post — Sat, 30 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

RANGOON, Burma, May 29 -- Detained pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi urgently needs medical attention in the Rangoon prison where she is being held, her party said Friday. Meanwhile, closing arguments in her trial were delayed until the end of next week.

China's Aggressive Swine Flu Measures Land Healthy Travelers in Quarantine

Ariana Eunjung Cha — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING, May 28 -- In ordinary times, Miguel Gomez's temperature of 98.9 degrees Fahrenheit, a mere 0.3 degrees above the benchmark for normal, would hardly be cause for alarm. But to the Chinese medical officials who boarded his flight last week to search for passengers with signs of swine flu, it...

Coordinated Explosions, Gunfire Kill 13 in Northwest Pakistan

Griff Witte — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 28 -- Insurgents used an array of tactics to kill 13 people across northwestern Pakistan on Thursday, ambushing police officers with small-arms fire, detonating explosives planted in a crowded market and attacking security checkpoints with suicide bombers.

Burmese Activist's Trial May End Monday

Tim Johnston — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BANGKOK, May 28 -- Attorneys for Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained Burmese opposition leader, said Thursday that they expect to make their closing arguments in her trial Monday and that the verdict would probably be announced shortly afterward.

South Korean, American Forces on Alert; U.N. Council Prepares Draft Resolution

Blaine Harden — Fri, 29 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 29 -- The joint command for South Korean and U.S. forces on the Korean Peninsula raised its alert level Thursday in response to an extraordinary week of truculence from North Korea.

At Least 13 Killed Across Northwest Region of Pakistan

AP — Thu, 28 May 2009 14:20:01 EDT

Nuclear Aims By Pakistan, India Prompt U.S. Concern

R. Jeffrey Smith and Joby Warrick — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

Sometime next year, at a tightly guarded site south of its capital, Pakistan will be ready to start churning out a new stream of plutonium for its nuclear arsenal, which will eventually include warheads for ballistic missiles and cruise missiles capable of being launched from ships, submarines or...

Kremlin Considers a Tougher Stance on North Korea After Surprise Nuclear Test

Philip P. Pan — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

MOSCOW, May 27 -- For years, Russia has appeared to take a back seat in international efforts to persuade North Korea to abandon its pursuit of nuclear weapons. It urged diplomacy and resisted tougher sanctions, but usually let China take the lead in relations with Pyongyang.

U.S. Hopes China's Criticism of North Korean Arms Tests Leads to U.N. Sanctions

Ariana Eunjung Cha and Glenn Kessler — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BEIJING, May 27 -- China's leaders have shown their anger over North Korea's nuclear and missile tests this week through unusually critical statements and harsh coverage in China's state media. Now, U.S. officials hope the sharp rhetoric will translate into support in the U.N. Security Council fo...

With Deadly Attack in Eastern City, Insurgents Aim at Pakistani Authorities

Griff Witte and Shaiq Hussain — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 27 -- The powerful car bomb that tore the walls off an office of Pakistan's elite intelligence service, ravaged a police facility and killed as many as 30 people Wednesday morning is the latest reminder that insurgents are able to strike almost anywhere in this country as...

North Korea Threatens to Attack South, Calls Truce Ending Korean War Invalid

Blaine Harden — Thu, 28 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 27 -- North Korea vowed Wednesday to attack South Korea if ships from the North are searched as part a U.S.-led effort to stop vessels suspected of carrying missiles or weapons of mass destruction. It also declared that the truce that ended the Korean War in 1953 was no longer valid.

Seoul Joins Effort to Help Block Aggression by North Korea

Blaine Harden — Wed, 27 May 2009 09:59:55 EDT

TOKYO, May 27 -- Diplomatic aftershocks from North Korea's latest nuclear test are jangling nerves and changing policies across northeast Asia.

U.N. Human Rights Official Urges Probe of Both Sides in Sri Lankan War

Frank Jordans — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

GENEVA, May 26 -- The United Nations' top human rights official demanded Tuesday an independent investigation into atrocities allegedly committed by both sides in Sri Lanka's civil war.

Burma Sends Mixed Signals About Fate of Aung San Suu Kyi

Tim Johnston — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BANGKOK, May 26 -- Burma's military government has officially ended the six-year house arrest of opposition leader and democracy advocate Aung San Suu Kyi, but she remains in prison while awaiting the outcome of her trial on charges of breaching the terms of her detention.

North Korea Disavows 1953 Armistice, Warns South Korea

Blaine Harden — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 27 -- North Korea announced Wednesday that it is no longer bound by the 1953 armistice that halted the Korean War, the latest and most profound diplomatic aftershock from the country's latest nuclear test two days earlier.

Pakistan's Supreme Court Says Ex-Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif Can Run for Office

Griff Witte — Wed, 27 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan, May 26 -- Pakistan's Supreme Court ruled Tuesday that former prime minister Nawaz Sharif, the nation's most popular politician, can participate in elections despite an earlier ban.

Discontent Rises Sharply Among Russian Troops

Philip P. Pan — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

USSURIYSK, Russia -- As a young officer fresh out of a Soviet military academy, Alexander Primak was assigned to serve in this frontier city in the Russian Far East, eight time zones away from his home town in Ukraine.

Burma's Decision to Try Aung San Suu Kyi Displeases Even Some Allies

Tim Johnston — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

BANGKOK, May 25 -- The decision by Burma's government to put Aung San Suu Kyi, the opposition leader and Nobel Peace laureate, on trial has chilled relations with some of the ruling military junta's traditional allies and made it less like likely that international sanctions against the nation wi...

China, Russia Join World in Condemning North Korea's Nuclear Test

Blaine Harden — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

TOKYO, May 27 -- North Korea's detonation of a nuclear device Monday appears not to have been a significant technical advance over its first underground test three years ago. But it has triggered a swifter, stronger and more uniform wave of international condemnation, most notably from the isola...

North Korean Nuclear Blast Tests Obama's Engagement Policy

Glenn Kessler — Tue, 26 May 2009 00:00:00 EDT

President Obama came into office saying he wanted to demonstrate that engagement with hostile nations is more effective than antagonism, but North Korea's nuclear test now leaves the young administration with critical choices about its response.

N. Korea Conducts 'Successful' Underground Nuclear Test

Blaine Harden — Mon, 25 May 2009 15:05:55 EDT

TOKYO, May 25 -- North Korea exploded a nuclear device Monday morning, startling the world with its second underground test in three years and vexing the Obama administration, which has said it wants to solve the nuclear impasse with North Korea.